2012 BYU Family History and Genealogy Conference

To all Family History Center directors, consultants, indexing directors, and assistants:

We invite you to attend the 44th Annual Conference on Family History and Genealogy, July 31–August 3 at the Brigham Young University Conference Center in Provo, Utah. This year's theme is "Strengthening The Ties That Bind Families Together through Family History." Family historians of all skill levels are encouraged to attend.

Keynote speakers for the conference include Richard E. Turley, Jr., assistant Church historian and recorder for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Under his guidance in 1999, the Family History Department launched the popular FamilySearch.org website.

Wednesday's keynote speaker will be John Titford, a writer, broadcaster, and genealogical consultant from England. The Thursday keynote speaker will be Rod DeGiulio, director of FamilySearch Data Operations.

More then 130 classes will be offered on a variety of topics, including: exploring family trees, hands-on workshops, FamilySearch, international research, German research, youth and genealogy, getting support from priesthood leaders, computers and technology, methodology, etc. A complete schedule can be viewedon the conference website .

Two hands-on workshops will also be offered.

"The German Gothic Handwriting Workshop," taught by Warren Bittner, will be held from 9:45 a.m.–noon on Tuesday. Participants will learn to decipher the German Gothic handwriting used on many genealogical records in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Scandinavia.
The second hands-on workshop, "Building a Genealogy Website," will be held 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday. Millions of genealogists and historians are using the Internet to find lost ancestors. This workshop teaches you how to make your research available to the world and collaborate with others by creating your own family history website. Learn the basics of Google Sites and how to share your information through stylish, professional, and interesting ways for researchers to browse. It will be taught by Rebecca Smith, Noel Coleman, and Hannah Allan.

Key Conference Information

The conference will feature a Family History Consultant track on Tuesday and Wednesday with classes specifically designed to help you with your calling.

Industry exhibitors from throughout the United States will show off their newest products and services.

GenealogyWallCharts.com is offering conference attendees a free black-and-white fan chart of their family tree. To take advantage of this offer, order the chart online, then pick it up at the conference at no charge.

Family history consultants will receive a $25 discount on general registration. Register today by calling 1-877-221-6716, or register on the conference website.

Men's and women's housing is available on BYU campus for $100, which includes lunch each day of the conference. Conference participants who are not staying in campus housing can buy a $25 lunch card that covers hot lunches, a salad bar, drinks and dessert at the Morris Center each day of the conference.